During the drilling, completion, and production phases of wells for petroleum extraction, the downhole use of compositions having high viscosities, including gels, is important for a wide variety of purposes. Higher viscosity fluids can more effectively carry materials (e.g., proppants) to a desired location downhole. Similarly, higher viscosity fluids can more effectively carry materials away from a drilling location downhole. Further, the use of higher viscosity fluids during hydraulic fracturing generally results in larger, more dominant fractures.
Higher viscosity fluids are often prepared using fresh water, brine or sea water as base component. Fresh water, however, can be a scarce and costly resource, depending on where the fluid is being prepared or used. Further, at a wellsite, whether onshore or offshore, handling, storing, and disposal of flowback or produced water can become a significant issue, as well as an environmental concern. The present disclosure, therefore, relates to methods for reusing flowback, as well as produced water, as carrier fluid for preparing treatment fluids, including fracturing fluids.